Soulmate
by Rin4
Summary: *chapter 2 up* Mary-Lynette sometimes wishes that one day she’ll forget. Haunted by her knowledge of the Night World, she fights to push on even after Ash has long failed to return. But when she rescues Mishae, her life takes a different turn completely
1. Chapter One

Soulmates  
  
Author's Notes: OK, this is semi-AU. It's been a long time since I read the Night World books so the tone of this might be different. Anyway forgive any mistakes, and enjoy! Please, please, please review!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own the Nightworld. I'd like to believe it owns me XD.  
  
One -  
  
She stood in the midst of the crowd on a Saturday morning. Bent over, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders, her fingers picked gently at the table of face creams. But her blue eyes had lifted suddenly and her shoulders had gone still. She was watching. Watching a vampire laugh across the swarming crowd of the store.  
  
It was Boxing Day and Mary-Lynette had agreed to accompany her friend Tanya Bassinger to the after Christmas sales. But suddenly- and the feeling was like the floor falling apart at her feet- all thought of clothing and face creams were swept from her mind. There was a vampire across the room and that vampire was laughing, head tipped back, a hand waving in the air. A familiar pain overcame Mary-Lynette, a bitter despairing feeling.  
  
'Once,' she thought wretchedly. 'I was part of you. I knew you, and spoke to you. Oh not you, but your kind. Your whole entire stupid kind. Oh God. And now how painful it is to turn away and pretend I know nothing. How painful to know the world is different and yet to have no choice but the supress that knowledge. And you've ruined my whole week you bitch, whoever you are.'  
  
Suddenly across the store the vampire girl turned. Mary-Lynette's heart leapt into her throat but she couldn't look away. The vampire frowned. Then Tanya grasped her wrist.  
  
"Mare- look at this! And it's only 6.87. Mare are you listening to me?"  
  
When she looked back the vampire was gone. And of course, the pain. Always the pain.  
  
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"Did you see that girl?" The vampire girl dropped the lipstick unceremoniously back onto the table. The young man before her turned; "What Jasmine? Didn't you just feed?"  
  
"Sade! No, it's not that!" She groused, frustrated. "She looked kind of funny. Like she was looking straight at me."  
  
He laughed a little. "You're interested in girls, now?"  
  
"Oh be serious!" She huffed, then punched him in the ribs with an arched eyebrow. "Though she was rather good-looking."  
  
He laughed and moved on. As he did so, she frowned a little, becoming serious. 'She looked like she was in serious pain.'  
  
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Mary-Lynette returned home loaded down with shopping bags. Most of it wasn't hers- Tanya was trying to hide the fact that she'd overspent on her father's credit card.  
  
"You're so lucky to be living by yourself!" She groused. "I can't seem to get under my father's thumb. We're twenty for goodness sakes! You'd think he'd learn."  
  
Mary-Lynette pushed open her apartment door, dropping the shopping bags to catch her dog, a golden retriever called Lucky as he leapt excitedly into her arms.  
  
"You must be hungry, eh?" She asked as he ruffled his ears. He barked a little in response. Mary-Lynette laughed at the way he was trampling over all of Tanya's expensive clothing before going into the kitchen. As she did so she passed the answering machine. Pushing the button, she went to fill Lucky's bowl.  
  
"You're out again?! Come on Mare, what happened to the bookworm pseudo- image? Was it just an act? Come on guys, if you and Tanya have gone out without me again. well I suppose it's no use telling you that I'm Will. Call me when you get home, okay? It's urgent."  
  
The answering machine clicked.  
  
"It's me, Mare. By the Gods, when are you going to stop sulking? It's just- hey wait!. Sorry about that Mare. Mark's just angry at the moment. It's me, Rowan. But really, when are you coming home? Everyone misses you. We haven't heard from you in so long. But of course if you need time by yourself to think, we understand. When you're ready, please come home. Call us sometime so that we know you're okay. All right that's all. goodbye and goodluck."  
  
Mary-Lynette sighed a little, before pulling back the curtains. She half- wished that Rowan had let Mark keep yelling. Hearing Rowan's soft, melodic voice was. painful. And Mary-Lynette had thought. She'd been thinking for a long time. A long time after Ash had failed to turn up a year, two years, three years after he'd promised to. And it was not so much the Night World that she'd severed herself from. She'd only cut herself off from her past because it was painful. And once cut off from that. well she could not walk up to a random Nightworlder and say, "Yes I know all about you. And did you know that a vampire killed a werewolf over me once? Not that anyone cares anymore."  
  
She turned and picked up the cordless phone, dialing a familiar number.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Will, it's me."  
  
"Oh thank God, I've been looking for you all morning. Where were you?"  
  
"Ummm. boxing day sales with Tanya."  
  
"And did she. no, I won't ask. Listen, about that report on Vega due on Monday.."  
  
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"And as moon is moving further and further away from Earth, there is the distinct possibility that the axis in which the Earth moves may become distorted." Mary-Lynette indicated the diagram on her right. Her dark hair was pulled neatly back and she stood before the great screen and the hall full of students. She was calm and collected, her voice without hitch, her hands moving gracefully in explanation. She had practiced this speech countless times.  
  
When she finished she signalled the technician who closed the presentation. "Thank you."  
  
She moved from the stage as the next person began to prepare their materials. As she took the seat between Tanya and Will, Tanya leaned in, "That was fantastic, Mare!"  
  
"Thanks." Mary-Lynette said. On her right side, Will only had time to flash her a thumbs up. He was still to busy scribbling the last of his speech.  
  
When it was over she was moving for the doors when a hand on her arm stopped her. When she looked up she saw a face she vaguely knew. What was the name again.? Ah, Damien Price. A very good student. But she hardly knew him even though she had seen him a few times in her lectures. After all, he belonged to a much more sophisticated circle.  
  
"Ms Carter, I wonder if I could have a word with you?"  
  
"Yes, of course." She said. Looking up at his handsome face, she was surprised to see a faint blush on it, as though a fire burnt within it.  
  
"That party at Nguyen's. are you going?"  
  
She was surprised. "I'm not sure. Why?"  
  
"I was wondering if you would like to go with me." This was said boldly with a lopsided smile on the handsome face. Her eyes flew to his, shocked. She could not help but feel. disappointed. He was handsome yes, and hadn't Tanya drawn circles around his name when they were supposed to be listening in a lecture. but his hair, his eyes, he had no wild magnetism. At least not like. she stopped. 'No,' she thought. 'I've put that behind me.'  
  
"I." she stopped and frowned. Finally she smiled. "I'd be delighted."  
  
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It was late at night when she returned home. Her long dark hair was unbound and her feet bare as she removed her high heels to walk over the cool gravel. After the excitement of the evening she felt strangely calm. She was thrilled, yes of course how could she not be, when he looked up at her in obvious admiration and gave voice to his appreciation. Yes, the music had been good and yes he had certainly been romantic..  
  
'But?' Her mind whispered to her traitorously. 'There's always a but, isn't there?'  
  
But her lips didn't burn from his kisses when they should. In fact she'd scorned his offer to give her a lift home, telling him she didn't live far away and she liked the night air.  
  
"You're always so peculiar." He had laughed. "But it's part of why you're so beautiful."  
  
Was she peculiar? She'd never thought about it. Yes, she must be. Because she was altered. She tossed back her head and quicked her pace. Well no use thinking about that now. She walked on.  
  
The feeling came upon her slowly. There were quick footsteps behind her, running footsteps. Very, very light. As though the person wore no shoes like her. On an impulse she ducked into the side of a closed shop she saw, closing the opened gate behind her. Through the gap in the gate, she saw a figure run past. A figure in blue. Behind her there were slow, deliberate footsteps. A tall young man walked into her gaze. The vague- almost drunk expression in his eyes struck a deep chord in her. It took her a moment- a stunned moment- before she realized what she was witnessing. A vampire. And he was on the hunt.  
  
The first feet scrambled. To her surprise there was no screams. Without thinking, Mary-Lynette ripped off a piece of the gate.  
  
"Stop!" She called. As the vampire turned, she brandished the sharp wood in her hands. "Get off her!"  
  
And it was a girl. A girl in a blue dress without the strangest black eyes. The vampire turned. It barred it's fangs at her.  
  
"I'm serious!" Mary-Lynette called. "Get out!"  
  
The vampire advanced on her one step, two step, three steps. Mary-Lynette stood without moving, stake raised in a threatening position. He was so close now that she could see his brown hair and the flecks of green in his eyes. She fought to remain unmoving. He veered off suddenly and disappeared into the shadows. She stood for a moment, waiting for the next car to pass the almost deserted road, making sure he was gone.  
  
Then she bent over the unmoving figure. "Are you all right?"  
  
The girl uncurled. Her onyx-dark eyes stared into Mary-Lynette's. "Yes, thank you very much."  
  
Her eyes dropped to the stake still clutched in Mary-Lynette's hand. "You know, then?"  
  
You know, then? What funny words. And suddenly Mary-Lynette realized that she'd been waiting, waiting to hear those words again.  
  
"Yes." She hefted the stake in her hands. "And you too, obviously?"  
  
The girl nodded, not taking her eyes off Mary-Lynette's face. "It is one of the reasons why he hunts me."  
  
"I see." Mary-Lynette looked into the strangely calm eyes of the girl. But it was not so strange. After all, did she not feel the same calm?  
  
"Come on," she helped the girl up. "Your leg's hurt. You can stay at my place tonight."  
  
And just like that, not for the first time, Mary-Lynette changed her life completely.  
  
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"You lost her?" Jasmine Redfern didn't look very impressed at her cousin's result. "Safra's gonna murder you. What happened?"  
  
Sade was frowning. "Some girl stopped me, with a stake."  
  
"A vampire hunter?"  
  
"Maybe, I don't know. I think she."  
  
"What?"  
  
Sade looked at his cousin. "I think she was the girl you saw in the department store today."  
  
Jasmine's eyes widened. She thought for a moment then said quickly. "I think we should include this in our report to Safra, don't you?"  
  
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First part done. Well, how does everybody like it? Please review~! It would be greatly appreciated. 


	2. Chapter Two

Soulmate: Chapter Two  
  
Okies, second chapter. I actually wrote this a while ago and forgot to post it *blushes guiltily*. There are some notes at the bottom, and please, please, please review!  
  
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The girl slipped into the room like a cat, making no sound at all as she curled up on Mary-Lynette's couch. Before Mary-Lynette could turn on the light she had already switched on the lamp next to the sofa and was motioning for Mary-Lynette to sit down. It was dark and Mary-Lynette went to close the open window, shivering at the cold air.  
  
"Is it all right if I ask you for your name?"  
  
"Of course," Mary-Lynette said as she handed the girl a cup of warm tea, before sitting down beside her. "It's Mary-Lynette Carter. And-" she was about to ask the girl for hers when the expression on her face stopped her. "What?"  
  
"It's just that." the girl laughed a little. "I've heard about you."  
  
"About me?" Mary-Lynette was astonished. "How?"  
  
"You see, when Jasmine. no I'd better start from the beginning." The girl said firmly. She put down her teacup. "My name is Mishae. I used to have a family, see? But not anymore."  
  
"What happened?" Mary-Lynette asked gently.  
  
"Have you ever heard of the Sect, Mary-Lynette?"  
  
"Call me Mare. No I haven't, what is it?"  
  
"It's an elite group of shapeshifters, vampires and witches. They're an assasin group with very close ties to Circle Midnight. There is a woman whose in charge of it called The Prime."  
  
Mary-Lynette shivered slightly. Mishae went on, "I was eighteen and bartending. oh, you think that's funny do you?" For a minute there was a lively, mischevious spark in her eyes. "But I was not always strange like this. I was a bartender at a local bar- nothing fancy, just a bar. I met the most extraordinary young man one night," her eyes softened fractionally. "His name was Raphael and he told me strange things. Or at least he began to. We were seperated on the dance floor and that's when the vampire came to me. Safra, his name was. He was the most select in that group of assasins and he came to kill me personally because. well to prove himself I suppose."  
  
"By killing you?" Mary-Lynette was confused.  
  
Mishae laughed. Mary-Lynette blushed and said contritely, "I didn't mean it like that!"  
  
"Of course not," Mishae waved away her apology. "What I mean is that the Sect had told him I posed a danger to him and he wanted personally to eliminate me to show that he had no weakness. because I am his soulmate you see.  
  
Mary-Lynette could not contain a tiny gasp. "And yet, he was willing to kill you."  
  
"Yes," Mishae nodded. "And would have if Raphael had not stopped him. Raphael saved me- he took me home. By then of course my family was dead. I had no where to turn, it was Safra's intent."  
  
"And Raphael, who was he?"  
  
"He was Safra's. brother. Or at least by blood. But they'd been separated from birth. the Sect raises it's children to be loners and fighters. they have had hardly any contact since birth. Yes, he betrayed his Sect. He wanted to do so anyway- he had grown tired of it's way. I tagged along."  
  
And you love him: this Raphael who is brother to your soulmate, Mary- Lynette saw it in the softness of her eyes when she spoke of Raphael. "What happened to him?"  
  
"He was taken from me. The young man you saw before- his name is Sade Sylmar. And his cousin a young woman called Jasmine Redfern. They are Safra's friends, they took him from me. Raphael went with them, lured them away so I could run. So here I am and he is gone. Gone back to the Sect, I imagine."  
  
"Will they hurt him?"  
  
"I don't know. Perhaps. The Prime is a woman whose mind works in strange ways."  
  
They sat for a while in the silence and darkness, each silently contemplating. Then Mary-Lynette asked; "And me? How did you know me?"  
  
"Oh. have you not understood yet?" Mishae raised her great. onyx colored eyes to Mary-Lynette's. "Jasmine and Sade is of relation to your soulmate Ash Redfern. I heard Jasmine speak of him once when they captured me and Raphael momentarily."  
  
Mary-Lynette stilled completely. Only her heart began to race frantically. Her breath moved shallowly and she said in a low whisper, "So you heard Jasmine speak of me and Ash?"  
  
"Yes, Jasmine said." Mishae screwed up her face. "She said something like. 'Such an example of vampiric perfection ruined by Circle Daybreak'. Then Sade said something like, 'No way, Ash Redfern? What happened?' Jasmine shrugged and said, 'Raving about some sort of soulmate theory or whatnot.' Sard asked who his soulmate was and Jasmine said your name."  
  
"I see." Mary-Lynette pressed a hand to her heart in the darkness. "And do you know. do you know what became of Ash Redfern?"  
  
Mishae bit her lip. "I can't be sure. after all, they didn't say. But it sounded awfully like as though he was their. prisoner."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"But you know him better than I. Do you think. that he would oppose the Sect? Would he do such a thing?"  
  
Mary-Lynette's shoulders sank. What had he said to her when he left. all those years ago? To slay dragons. "Perhaps." She said unwillingly.  
  
Mishae nodded slightly and Mary-Lynette's heart sank. To think darling, she thought deliriously. To think that perhaps it was I that abandoned you, rather than you abandoning me. All these years, all these long years when I've been suffering but had absolutely no idea about what.  
  
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Ash twisted around, easily avoiding the ball of witch fire thrown at him, his wooden sword slamming his opponent up into the wall. No one bothered to clap- it was indecorous, but there were a few soft signs of admiration.  
  
"You should have finished him off." This was said by a tiny girl with honey- blond hair who was standing outside the combat room watching through the glass panes. Ash looked at her, and winked. "I'll leave that to your smile, Freya."  
  
The witch simpered a little, not being able to help it. When Ash turned away from her, his expression changed becoming cold. She was beautiful, yes, but what was more- she had The Prime's ear. If he played his cards right, she would be the key.  
  
He waved at the people who greeted him, quickly making his way up the stairs aware of the black-clothed guard who watched him discreetly. The Prime was too intelligent- and her suspicion of him had not faded over time.  
  
Ash bared the door to his room behind him. No doubt Raphael had already managed to fix the video camera in his room when Ash had seen him going into the technician's room. With this in mind, Ash pulled down three of the loose bricks that seperated his room.  
  
"God, what took you so long?" A voice hissed from the other room. "Showing off to the girls again, no doubt. You're really taking advantage of this 'honored guest' farce aren't you?"  
  
Ash shrugged, making his voice casual as he said, "They might prove to be useful."  
  
"'Ash Redfern'- vampire extraordinare, you're certainly living up to the image." Raphael sighed a little.  
  
"The question is "do they believe me?"' Ash replied, sitting up on his bed.  
  
"You know," Raphael said in a conversational tone of voice. "I always wanted to know why you didn't want to join the Sect. Why did you join Circle Daybreak?"  
  
Ash said nothing, staring up at the ceiling. Though Rapahel couldn't see, the lazy half-grin that seemed to grow on his face had disappeared.  
  
"Is it really because what Jasmine said- that."  
  
"Not now." Ash said and even Raphael had to respond to the uncustomary note of steel in his voice. "Tell me about the passageway."  
  
Raphael gave a swift nod on his side of the wall, reverting also to a business-like tone. "I found it when I was a child. It goes right under the Sect's dormatories. They'll never guess."  
  
"And The Prime doesn't know about it?" Ash asked skeptically.  
  
"Come on, trust me a little! She doesn't know about it. I've sneaked out countless times as a kid. If she knew about it she would have fetched people to seal it off. No one knows but me."  
  
Ash said with an arched eyebrow, "And so how come you haven't tried to escape before?"  
  
Raphael said tonelessly. "Well there is a catch."  
  
"What catch?"  
  
Raphael leaned in and whispered close to the wall, "There are guards at the door of the dormatories. And down the stairs."  
  
"And what do you know," Ash asked. "There are guards you can't see outside our window and down the hallway. But," he rose cat-like from his bed, an eager light in his eyes. "You ain't gonna let a little thing like that deter us, are you?"  
  
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Okay, second chapter done. Sorry guys about introducing so many original characters. All the people you know and love are still in the story, they'll be making an appearance in the next chapter- I swear!  
  
plot-less: yay, first review! *winks*, I'm glad it's you too! Yeah, I agree with you totally. I've read so many stories like that. They're sweet but I like to build up the angst, see? Aren't I a horrible person? XD  
  
Shadow: Yup, he does. In a big way.  
  
kitten: I hope this was good enough for your expectations!  
  
Blue: Thank you! Thank you very much!!!!  
  
Raven: Your review is very inspiring! Thank you so much for liking the first chapter. Now if only I could get my teachers to write stuff like that about me.  
  
Berry: Well did you like Ash's entrance? ^__^ Not too weird, I hope. 


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